An adult cereal leaf beetle.

Have you seen this bug?

The invasive cereal leaf beetle is heading our way. Look for damage in your wheat crop

There’s a new pest headed our way. James Tansey, provincial pest management specialist with Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Agriculture gave the audience the bad news at SaskWheat’s semi-annual meeting at the Farm Progress Show on June 20. The cereal leaf beetle is an invasive pest, common in the U.S. It has been spotted on the Prairies […] Read more

Tetrastichus julis, a parasitoid wasp whose larvae develop within cereal leaf beetle larvae can kill a substantial number of cereal leaf beetle larvae.

Beneficial insects versus four major pests

There are more than just pests in 
those sweep nets; don’t sweep it all away

Many insect pests feed on cereal crops and canola. But for every pest in the field, there are dozens of predators feeding on them. Knowing which beneficial insects feed on the major pests can help growers make better management decisions. University of Toronto postdoctoral entomologist Vincent Hervet explains. 1. Cereal leaf beetle The cereal leaf […] Read more


Black beetles on canola buds.

Want better insect surveys? Here’s how you can help

Provincial entomologists are looking to widen their insect survey networks

Every year provincial entomologists hit the fields, setting pheromone-baited traps and monitoring insect activity. Your help with these projects could improve the information available in your region. Alberta Alberta Agriculture and Forestry insect management specialist Scott Meers relies on growers. “We have large areas to cover, so when we get input from growers and agronomists […] Read more

Growers should only use an insecticide when an economic threshold for a pest is reached.

Don’t jump the gun on pest control

It’s never a good idea to overreact when you see insects on your crops because jumping the gun, and spraying if it’s not really necessary, can do more harm than good. “Seldom, if ever, do preventative insecticides actually pay us,” says Scott Meers, insect specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “When we spray just to […] Read more


Bugs helping to control bugs in Alberta

In his weekly Call of the Land interview, Alberta Agriculture insect specialist Scott Meers says wheat midge are now emerging across the province. “Interestingly enough, they’re actually coming out first in the Peace and just this week they’re starting to come out across the rest of the province,” Meers said. Recent warm weather should mean a […] Read more